Another vani case surfaces

MULTAN: Another vani case has surfaced in south Punjab’s Khanewal district in which an eight-year-old girl is to pay the price of the sin of her elder brother. Robina, a resident of Chak 78/10-R, was married with Ejaz Ahmad of Salaar Wahn, Kabirwala, some four years ago and has a son and a daughter. She is much younger than her husband. They used to quarrel with each other and Robina spent most of her time in her parentsÂ’ home. On October 31, Robina left her house and Ejaz lodged an FIR with Nawan Shahr police station, Kabirwala, that brothers Tasawar Husain and Muhammad Imran, residents of Chak No 78/10-R came to his house on a car and stayed there. At night, they offered his family members drugged food with the help of Robina and took her away. Three days later, on the information of Ejaz, police raided Sheikhupura and took them back.

When both the families came to know of the incident, they asked police to give some time for rapprochement and a panchayat was held in which Robina’s father Nazir Ahmad, TasawarÂ’s father Jahandad Khan, Naseer Ahmad, Sajjad Ahmad, Irshad Ahmad, Mushtaq Ahmad, Maulvi Qamar, Muhammad Aslam, Dilawar Husain, Muhammad Naeem, Muhammad Salim and Muhammad Imran decided that Jahandad would give his eight-year-old granddaughter Komal, who is a student of class four, to 20-year-old Muhammad Ilyas, the brother of Robina as compensation and Nazir would not take any legal action against the other party. Robina was presented in the local court of Kabirwala magistrate Waheed Raza Bukhari and stated that nobody kidnapped her. She was in her parents’ house and did not want to go with her husband.

Later, Maulvi Shamsul Haq solemnised their nikah. It was decided that Jahandad would send his granddaughter as bride when she would attain puberty. When a team of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan visited the village, they found Robina missing and her father Nazir told them that she had gone to Karachi along with her in-laws. Family members of both the parties and neighbors confirmed the Nikah of Komal, HRCP member Bismillah Eram, told Dawn. She said the team met Ejaz who showed his ignorance about his wife Robina. She said that Robina was in danger and nobody was ready to tell her whereabouts.

Nawan Shehr police station SHO said Robina was recovered from Sheikhupura and her father told a court that she was in his house and she was not kidnapped by anybody. However, investigation officer Sub-Inspector Chaudhry Akram said police did not recover the woman. She was in her father’s house who presented the girl to the police. He claimed that the news of the marriage of Komal was rumour and he checked the register of Nikah Khwan and found no entry of the nikah. Interestingly, he said the Chak was in the jurisdiction of Kutcha Khoh police station, Khanewal. When contacted, Kutcha Khoh police showed their ignorance about the incident.
Source: Dawn
Date:11/23/2006